Premonition
by J.D. Castle
Summary: A different outcome for the season six finale. This first chapter can stand alone, but there's likely more to follow... It starts with a bit of angst, ends with some sweet and sexy (T-rated) Caskett moments.
1. It Was Just a Dream

**It Was Just a Dream...**

"Wake up, sweetheart, shhh...wake up..."

The sound of Rick's voice is a distant echo, but getting louder. As the smell of smoke from the blazing car swirls away into blackness, Castle's scent - a sweet musk that always reminds her of chocolate & Christmas - fills the air. The heat from the flames mellows into the warmth coming from his chest against her back, his breath against her ear, and his heavy muscled arm around her waist. Castle. He is alive, breathing next to her, and they are in his bed. His soft lips brush her temple.

"Kate, sweetheart...wake up."

Her heart rate is slowing down now. I t was just a dream...an awful, awful, nightmare... Still, her voice sounds strange to her when she speaks, shaky and scared like a little girl.

"I'm awake, Rick..."

"Was it the dream again?"

Kate nods and turns in his arms, he shifts onto his back so she can lay her cheek against his chest, her tears damping his skin as she splays her arm across his body. They are naked, having made love merely hours ago. Their wedding is only days away, but the brief idea they'd had to sleep separately the week before the wedding, "to make the honeymoon even hotter," had been thrown out once she'd nailed Bracken. She'd nearly died. Again. The relief of knowing that no one would be trying to kill her anymore was overshadowed by the sense of how precious life is, how precious time is. As far as she was concerned, being away from each other a second more than necessary was out of the question. Castle couldn't argue with her... Of course, he hadn't really tried either. He'd already been wishing the wedding was over and they were on that island already. Wrapping his arms around her lithe yet curvy frame, Castle brushes a kiss against her head.

"Well, I'm right here, sweetheart. Alive and well."

He feels her hand tighten on his shoulder.

"It was a car-crash this time."

Castle is silent, stroking her hair soothing, knowing she needs to talk out the vision so she can banish it from her mind. He suspects these nightmares of her losing him under horrible circumstances are a form of her PTSD. Tomorrow he might gently suggest she go talk with Dr. Burke. Tonight, it's his job to comfort her and keep her grounded in the reality of them: Kate Beckett and Richard Castle, getting married in seven days.

"You were driving to the wedding..."

"I was driving? Alone?"

"Yeah, you had to go pick up our marriage license."

"Like we did today?"

"No...not like today."

Castle feels her smiling. Today had been fun. Her last day at the precinct until after the honeymoon. Getting a month off hadn't been hard. She'd done two weeks vacation and two weeks unpaid leave - which he then given her the difference as part of his wedding gift to her. He'd heard Javier teasing her about the perks of marrying a rich guy - but then he'd smiled and said she deserved it. From there they'd gone and picked up their marriage license. He could tell Beckett was getting mushy. She'd wrapped an arm around his waist and had her head tucked against his shoulder. He'd felt the same way...until the clerk had made a snide comment under her breath about the third time being the charm.

"No, actually, she's the charm."

Beckett had blushed, smiled, and kissed him - right in front of everyone. Then she'd looked the clerk in the eye and asked if everything was in order - because they had a lifetime to get started.

In the car she'd turned to him.

"Rick, we both have pasts - it doesn't make what we have less amazing..."

"I know. But I meant what I said. You are the charm. Your brilliant, beautiful, compassionate, loyal -"

"Loyal? Dogs are loyal, Castle." Kate chuckles, but her eyes are quizzical

He hadn't meant to say that. He's never mentioned Meredith's cheating. The fact that he still slept with her after that isn't a point of pride for him. Still, he can't have Kate thinking he was comparing her to a golden retriever.

"Meredith...I caught her in bed with her director."

Kate's face paled, and her eyes flashed fire. "That's why you divorced her."

"Yep."

She seemed to calm as quickly as she'd angered.

"I'm sorry she hurt you like that...but I'm selfish, too. If she'd been smart enough to appreciate what she had, we wouldn't be getting married in three days."

Her wicked hand had ghosted up his thigh before moving to shift the car out of park. Once back at the loft she'd sequestered them to their bedroom and had them naked in three minutes flat. Thank god it was Thursday afternoon and both Alexis and his mother were at their respective schools. Neither he nor Beckett had been in the mental space where they could have tried to be quiet. Castle's room is pretty soundproof, but they'd learned the hard - and embarrassing - way that it wasn't completely so. Thank god it'd been Martha and not Alexis. It was one of the reasons Beckett still had her apartment.

"Hey, lover, where'd you go?"

"Someplace embarrassing...what time is it?"

Beckett glances at the clock on her side of the bed (it had quickly migrated to her side when Castle realized just how often Beckett had to go to the precinct early to do paperwork.)

"Umm, 9:30."

"Guess we skipped dinner. Feel like some late night pizza."

Really, Kate just wants to stay in his arms and listen to his heartbeat. ..and yeah, she wants to make love again. She needs to explore the terrain of his body, slowly this time. Whenever she slows things down, he inevitably snaps and take the lead, and she wants to be blanketed with his body, the weight of him an assurance that she's only having nightmares. Kate Beckett does not believe in the occult or fortune tellers - none of the nonsense Castle is so open to. Yet she's never had dreams like these - so vivid it was like watching HD TV.

"Maybe later." She kisses his chest. "Right now...I feel like having you."

"Understandable. I am delicious."

"Um hmmm." She inches up his body, loving the feel of his skin against hers. Soon she finds his mouth and her tongue tangles with his. She pulls away and playfully nibbles his ear before whispering, "I want you on top."

Their eyes meet, and Castle sees the remnants of her nightmare behind the sparkle of her eyes. She's vulnerable and wants the comfort of his body. He loves her even more for this, amazed she let's him see her fears and her need for him. For moment the two are lost in each other's gaze. Then Castle flashes his wicked smile.

"As you wish."

END

I'm not sure if this is a one-shot yet. I have some ideas of what's going on next, but for now, it's just me re-writing some of the season six finale. :)


	2. Nice Day for a White Wedding Dress

Nice Day for a White Wedding...Dress

"Girl, why are you frowning? You look amazing!"

Kate Beckett smiles at her best friend's scolding exclamation, but her eyes are still looking critically at the vision in the mirror. When she'd first tried on this designer wedding dress she'd been thrilled with it. It was designer, and with it's silver lace and pant like bottom it had been a very different kind of wedding dress. Untraditional - just like her and Castle. Looking at all the wedding magazines with their poofy white dresses that reminded her of Cinderella she'd known what she absolutely did not want. Different had been high on her list. The creation she is currently wearing is also the only dress she'd actually tried on. Miranda's gift had shut the door to even considering anything else.

Now, with two days before the wedding, Kate found she couldn't get the dress from her latest nightmare out of her head. White and classical - without looking like she was wearing a hoop skirt - she'd looked like...a true bride. In her dream it had been her mother's wedding dress, but she and her mom weren't built alike at all. Not only had she been three inches taller than her mom, but Johanna Beckett's figure was more along the lines of Marilyn Monroe. The dream dress had the stylings and details of her mom's - but no way could she have just stepped into it...

"Kaaate..."

"Sorry Lanie...I was just thinking."

"I know. And whatever it is doesn't have you looking too happy. What's going on?"

Biting her lip, Kate looked at Lanie's reflection in the mirror.

"I think...I mean, this is going to sound crazy..."

"Honey, if something is bothering you, you'd better speak now or forever hold your piece."

"I, I don't like the dress." 

She waits for Lanie's freak out, but instead Lanie just grins.

"Finally! I was thinking you might be walking down the aisle before you realized it."

"What? How, I just figured it out myself!"

"Honey, I always know - and I know you. "You are an amazing detective, but when it comes to your heart it's the wrong skill set. The facts can't tell you what you really want. It may be a fabulous designer dress - but it isn't you."

"But it's two days before my wedding!"

"Which is why it's a damn good thing I'm your maid of honor. I'm guessing you still have that credit card Castle insisted on giving you."

Kate frowns. The only time she's used the gold Amex card with her name without telling Rick first was for his birthday party. It had been a bone of contention when he first presented her with it, but he'd won the argument by saying if they were going to really be a couple she had to get comfortable with his money.

"I have it."

"Good. Rush jobs are expensive. Now, call your Dad and tell him we're stopping by to pick up the dress."

"What dress?!"

"Your mom's wedding dress. Ann Hamilton's is going to use it to make yours."

"But how did you know -"

"- That your dad had your mom's wedding dress? Sweetie, I I started looking into alternatives as soon as I saw that designer thing. No way was a one and done girl going to get married in a shiny pair of harem pants."

Lanie's matter-of-fact reaction makes her laugh. Really, she hadn't noticed it before, but the skirt did remind her of something out of Arabian Nights. There is no reason to get all Castle-like in her thinking. The fact that she'd dreamt about wearing her mom's dress had to just be a coincidence...

End of Chapter Two

Okay, so this is not a one-shot. I know this chapter is short and not at all Casketty, but one of the few things I liked about 6x23 was that they got rid of that first dress. Honestly, it never felt like something Beckett would wear, so it was interesting for me to think about why she might have loved it. Besides, we never get enough scenes between her and Lanie. I also wanted to address the fact that Kate couldn't just step into her mom's dress. The designer I mentioned is a real one. She specializes in reworking and refitting vintage wedding dresses. You can google her if you're interested. I plan on finishing this before season seven starts, so stay tuned!


End file.
